Date
by artFULLYoutuvit
Summary: "Where do you take a girl on a date?" Aang gets some much needed advice. Day 4 of Zutara Week 2010


Disclaimer: Let's put it this way: If I owned Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko and Katara would have steam babies by now

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**Date**

"Hey Zuko, can I ask you something?"

The Fire Lord cracked a single eye open but made no movements to get up. He and Aang had only been meditating for five minutes, and that boy had already given up? Zuko had insisted Aang had much more to learn when it came to firebending, so the boy had come to the Fire Nation to pay a visit and spend some time training with his sifu. "You're supposed to be meditating," he countered.

Aang took off with a gust of air and floated onto his feet. "Yeah, but meditation's about clearing the mind, right? And I _really _wanna ask you something. I promise my mind will be extra clear after that."

Zuko sighed and opened his other eye. "Fine, what is it?"

"Where do you take a girl on a date?"

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "Are you asking me where you should take Katara on a date?"

Aang grinned. "Yeah! I mean, we've gone penguin sledding, and had snowball fights, but she wouldn't ride the Unagi with me when we visited Sokka on Kyoshi Island, and she says she doesn't want to go looking for any more animals for awhile, so I'm out ideas."

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. _This kid…of course she doesn't want to ride on any more animals. Did you really choose him over me? _Zuko sighed. Thoughts like that weren't helping either. Over the past two months since the war had come to an end Zuko had been trying to pretend that everything was exactly the way he wanted it. And he found it easy enough when Katara was all the way in the South Pole and he was here, trying to put his country back together. So what if the entire palace fled in the wake of his unusually short temper? That wasn't his problem. _No, trying to help Aang take Katara on a date is. _Zuko stood up, "well Aang, maybe you should try taking Katara to do something _she _likes."

"Like what? A cool waterbending spot?"

Zuko rolled his eyes, "no Aang. How about taking her for some tea?"

Aang looked puzzled. "But I've never seen her drink a lot of tea, and besides, that only takes a few minutes."

"It's not about that," Zuko began to pace, "taking a girl out for a drink is a good idea, and it allows you to make conversation."

Aang was looking at him like he had a mongoose-dragon head growing from his shoulder. "Katara and I talk all the time."

"I'm sure you do. Look, how about I tell you what I think is a good way to spend the day with Katara, and you try it. If it doesn't work, I'll do one thousand fire squats in a row."

Aang snapped into a salute, "Yes sir, hotman."

Zuko groaned. "Okay, so first you find a nice tea shop and you have some tea with her. _Savor _the tea, and have a conversation. Then—"

"You sound like your uncle," Aang cut in.

Zuko ignored him. "_Then_, you take her around the shopping district—"

"What city are we in?"

"I don't know, this one, the capital, now—"

"But Ba Sing Se is a lot bigger and there are more shops—"

Zuko blew steam from his nostrils, "_Ba Sing Se it is then, now will you let me finish?"_

Aang nodded and sprang into another salute. "Yes sir, hotman. Please continue, hotman."

Zuko steadied his breathing and went on. "So, you take her around the shopping district. Let her lead the way. Tell her to try things on. Buy her whatever she wants, insist on it." Zuko was picturing it in his mind. She'd lead him around by the hand, pointing out the things she liked. He'd buy her a gold bracelet with a pretty red stone in it. She'd put up a fuss, saying that she didn't really need it. _But I want to buy it for you, it suits you, _he'd say.

Aang cut into his musings, "Okay, then what."

Zuko snapped back to reality. "Right. So when it starts to get dark, take her to a park, or a garden—"

"Which one? A park or a garden?"

Zuko was growing irritated again, "it doesn't matter. It just has to be nice, sort of empty. Anyway, offer her your hand and start walking. Pick her a flower and put it in her hair. Tell her she looks beautiful—"

"But Katara always looks beautiful."

_I know that! _Zuko took a deep breath, "so tell her that."

"Why?"

"Because she should know how you feel," this conversation was becoming more difficult, but Zuko plowed on. "After that, find a nice spot and lay down and look up at the stars together."

Aang stood there for a few moments, thinking about what Zuko had told him. "Wow, sifu, you've really given this a lot of thought."

_You have no idea, _he thought."Yes I have," he said instead.

Aang grinned suddenly, as though an idea had occurred to him. "This must be why you're such a ladies man, hotman."

Zuko's eyes widened. "I'm a _what_?"

The boy nodded, still grinning like he'd solved some great puzzle. "Yeah, that's what your uncle said. _'My nephew has quite the way with the ladies, young Avatar. Perhaps he can help you with your date dilemma.'_"

Oh Zuko was going to _kill _his uncle. He had half a mind to summon an airship right this minute and head for Ba Sing Se. But no, he could deal with his uncle in a much more satisfying way, he thought wickedly. _I hope Uncle doesn't mind if I cancel his shipment of those Ginseng leaves this month. _Feeling vindicated already, Zuko sat back down and resumed his meditative stance. "Well Aang, I've answered your question. Would you mind returning to our meditation?" Aang nodded and sat down obediently. Zuko closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. _Fire comes from the breath. Breath in. Breath out. Be calm…_

A few minutes passed in silence before Aang peeked an eye open, grin forming. "Maybe I should call you my love sifu."

Zuko slapped a palm to his forehead. _Damn you, Uncle._

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A/N: Wow, so sorry that this is late! I was feeling under the weather yesterday and didn't get to go on my computer :'''( Anyway here's prompt number 4, Date. I feel like this is a bit more light-hearted than the last one. Please review and tell me what you think! And thanks so much to all of the awesome people who have already favorited/ reviewed my other entries for Zutara Week 2010. You guys give me the warm fuzzies :D

Don't forget to go check out the other submissions on deviantArt!


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